Police Chief Alexander Honored by the Prince Hall Masons

An arm of the Prince Hall Masons held a distinguished event to honor Chief David Alexander for his overall professional law enforcement achievements and for his promotion to become the first African-American police chief in Pensacola, Florida. More specifically, the chief was honored by The Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge of Florida-Belize, Central America Jurisdiction, Incorporated; Prince Hall Affiliated. The award was bestowed upon Chief Alexander by a Pensacola native, the Honorable Walter Gulley, Most Worshipful Grand Master of the jurisdiction since April 2014. The masonic lodge membership descended on the DeVilliers Square office building at 321 N. DeVilliers St. in downtown Pensacola from all over the State of Florida as far away as Miami.

The Honorable Walter Gulley, Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Florida-Belize, Central America Jurisdiction was in Pensacola conducting a “Visitation” which provides an opportunity for the brothers to meet up close and personal with the Grand Master to discuss his vision for the future. The services and meeting which were conducted by Grand Master Gulley were held at Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church at 2515 6th Avenue. There are three zones in Florida for this jurisdiction. They are as follows: Zone 1). North and Northwest Florida; Zone 2). Central Florida; Zone 3). South Florida.

Local lawyer, Attorney Gerald McKenzie, served as the emcee for the event in his position as the CEO of the Foundation of The Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge of Florida-Belize, Central America Jurisdiction, Incorporated; Prince Hall Affiliated. The foundation is spearheading the involvement of the Grand Lodge in the promotion of Florida tourism focused on the African-American contributions to the Sunshine State. The announcement came as a surprise for those in attendance as McKenzie described the tourism initiative as including the Masonic Lodges in five cities including Pensacola developing tourism centers promoting African-American Heritage. The Worshipful Master Keith Howard of the Excelsior Lodge in Pensacola, Florida will be working with the foundation as the first site in managing the implementation of the tourism initiative.

Pensacola Voice research found descriptions of the Masonic brotherhood as an organization that probably descended from a 16th-century legal definition of a brother as one who has taken an oath of mutual support to another. Accordingly, Masons swear at each degree to keep the contents of that degree secret, and to support and protect their brethren unless they have broken the law. In most Lodges the oath or obligation is taken on a Volume of Sacred Law, whichever book of divine revelation is appropriate to the religious beliefs of the individual brother (usually the Bible in the Anglo-American tradition).